Really what is this meeting supposed to go like, actual negotiations or just talking business. Really honestly these players know nothing about business. This is just Fehr accpting the invitation so it looks like he is trying. With his brother in the room its not like he won't report someone tried to go over his head.

I can see a few players getting hot headed and making a butt of themselves. But as far as them and the players floating numbers that won't happen. I am hoping the owners can sway the players the get new counsel and the owners will accept new counsel and try to get a deal in place. The mental tug of war that goes no where is gettin boring.

Gaucho wrote:flyerguy360Really other than just the power of his name what is Crosby really going to contribute to these talks about business.

stupid to single crosby out, of course, but it does beg the question of how qualified are these players to understand any of this. most of the guys making public comments are ignorant enough to believe that bettman is some sort of villain. and you have alleged smart guys like craig adams saying ridiculous things like "we would gladly be paying right now, but the owners are locking us out" - like that's relevant at all. and then you have agents who handle their contracts, financial planners to handle their money and business managers to handle the peanut butter and pickle companies.

i'm not saying that the players don't have the right to negotiate directly. they absolutely do. i'm just skeptical that they truly understand the situation.

Craig Adams would be a solid choice since he was a Harvardite. But I don't know if the NHLPA would want 2 Penguins. So I'll go with:

Crosby, Backes, Doan, Parros, Langenbrunner, Biron

Parros (Psychology, Princeton) and Westgarth (Psychology, Princeton) both seem like they should be high on the list of attendees.

westgarth? fringe NHL player with a good SAT score. and the sage wisdom of a 28 year old.

so, tfrizz, would you say you feel..........vindicated?

certainly a prescient call by tfrizz there, but still...i don't understand why he's one of the reps. unless they wanted the opinion of a guy who won't be in the league by the time the next CBA comes around.

Gaucho wrote:flyerguy360Really other than just the power of his name what is Crosby really going to contribute to these talks about business.

stupid to single crosby out, of course, but it does beg the question of how qualified are these players to understand any of this. most of the guys making public comments are ignorant enough to believe that bettman is some sort of villain. and you have alleged smart guys like craig adams saying ridiculous things like "we would gladly be paying right now, but the owners are locking us out" - like that's relevant at all. and then you have agents who handle their contracts, financial planners to handle their money and business managers to handle the peanut butter and pickle companies.

i'm not saying that the players don't have the right to negotiate directly. they absolutely do. i'm just skeptical that they truly understand the situation.

I think that is the point of this. I think if you take a fresh step, not have all of the high powered guys that truly know, and just get down to the basics of what the players want, it might actually move the needle.

I think the players are smarter and understand some of this, maybe not to the degree the Fehr's and others do, but I'm sure they are educated enough that they can get their points across to some key owners.

Gaucho wrote:flyerguy360Really other than just the power of his name what is Crosby really going to contribute to these talks about business.

stupid to single crosby out, of course, but it does beg the question of how qualified are these players to understand any of this. most of the guys making public comments are ignorant enough to believe that bettman is some sort of villain. and you have alleged smart guys like craig adams saying ridiculous things like "we would gladly be paying right now, but the owners are locking us out" - like that's relevant at all. and then you have agents who handle their contracts, financial planners to handle their money and business managers to handle the peanut butter and pickle companies.

i'm not saying that the players don't have the right to negotiate directly. they absolutely do. i'm just skeptical that they truly understand the situation.

I have yet to hear Crosby make a comment that would warrant him sticking his foot in his mouth. I am not worried that he will say something the players will regret.

Gaucho wrote:flyerguy360Really other than just the power of his name what is Crosby really going to contribute to these talks about business.

stupid to single crosby out, of course, but it does beg the question of how qualified are these players to understand any of this. most of the guys making public comments are ignorant enough to believe that bettman is some sort of villain. and you have alleged smart guys like craig adams saying ridiculous things like "we would gladly be paying right now, but the owners are locking us out" - like that's relevant at all. and then you have agents who handle their contracts, financial planners to handle their money and business managers to handle the peanut butter and pickle companies.

i'm not saying that the players don't have the right to negotiate directly. they absolutely do. i'm just skeptical that they truly understand the situation.

I have yet to hear Crosby make a comment that would warrant him sticking his foot in his mouth. I am not worried that he will say something the players will regret.

SO true HockeyDaddy, i get the feeling the players are fighting, because someone is telling them "you should fight" but i don't really think they truly understand what they are fighting for. The average player say things like "we are fighting for our fair share" ?? no one really knows what that is. Has anyone explained to each player what this new deal cost them... Has anyone explained to them missing a whole year is earnings they will never see again. ANd that is a year lost that your closer to retirement???? I get the feeling they are blindly following Fehr, yes the transparence is there for the players but would they know a great deal if the owners put it in front of their face. Fehr explains the big picture but i never once heard him talk about how it would effect each individual player.

Crosby is well respected as an individual and a professional hockey player. If your putting 18 NHL players in a room for ANY reason, Sid should be there.

Sid makes more money than any other player when you include endorsements, so he has more financial sense than any of those who likely are criticizing him.

Crosby is a student of the game, and that also implies to the off ice factors. Just being there supports the players and his relationship with Burkle could be "the bridge" to pass honest information accross.

This is a new start, not the group to get to a solution. If a couple of the hard liners are won over, then the NHL will never get to 8 teams to vote against a deal.

Penspal wrote:Sid makes more money than any other player when you include endorsements, so he has more financial sense than any of those who likely are criticizing him.

maybe, maybe not

his agent handles his negotiations and his money is probably handled by financial advisers. plus, his day-to-day job has nothing to do with business.

Doesn't mean he nor any of the other players can't learn about the business side from Fear/execs. I don't know why people fail to take that into consideration.

I would think the average hockey player has average knowelege about money. But from what i read, most pro athletes are broke after their professional life, they can't come down to reality and spend their moeny wisely to make it last the rest of their lives.

I actually like this idea of owner/player talk better than Bettman vs Fehr. This way maybe they can have a meaningful conversation and get straight to their concerns instead of having someone like Fehr muddy the waters. You can be sure Bettman merely speaks for the owners, but Fehr is doing this his own way and, IMO, to the detriment of the players. If you can keep that guy on the outside to some degree, I say it's a good idea. I'm still not sure if these players understand that there is only so much money to go around and I have a feeling he has them convinved that, since league revenues increased, owners are swimming in money.